Statement by La Leche League International, a nongovernmental
Organization in official relations with WHO

Thank you, Madam Chair,
for providing this opportunity for La Leche League International (LLLI)
to comment briefly on the draft Global Strategy for Infant and Young
Child Feeding.

As a community-based nongovernmental organization that has been active
for 45 years in breastfeeding promotion, protection and support, we
welcome the WHO Global Strategy. We expect that the Strategy will
provide impetus and direction to efforts to support breastfeeding,
building on the work already accomplished as a result of the Innocenti
Declaration, the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative and the World Declaration
on Nutrition.

LLLI will work through its network of seven thousand volunteer Leaders
and over two thousand trained Peer Counsellors to participate in implementing
the Global Strategy, including by:

Helping
mothers initiate early breastfeeding, breastfeed exclusively for
six months, offer appropriate complementary foods and continue breastfeeding
for two years or longer.

Developing
and publishing literature in several languages for lay and health
professional audiences on breastfeeding and lactation.

Organizing
conferences, workshops, seminars and other events at which breastfeeding,
lactation issues, and infant nutrition are addressed.

Educating
its network on the vital role of the International Code of Marketing
of Breast-milk Substitutes and how to support the Code's implementation.

Working
with the Mother Support Task Force of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding
Action in the promotion of the Global Initiative on Mother Support
(GIMS for Breastfeeding), whose aim is to create an appropriate
environment of awareness and support for mothers to initiate and
sustain breastfeeding.

Disseminating
information on the Global Strategy to LLL Leaders and members.

LLLI calls upon WHO to
monitor the breastfeeding and HIV/AIDS situation and to ensure that
action taken by organizations, governments and international agencies
does not result in an unnecessary decrease in breastfeeding.

Through its official relations with WHO, LLLI will follow the progress
of the Global Strategy and is prepared to provide assistance to strengthen
and accelerate that progress.

We ask
the following question: Since breastfeeding is recognized as essential
to food security, sustainable development, and maternal and child
health, why are barriers to breastfeeding tolerated? We challenge
the international community to use the Global Strategy to eliminate
these barriers once and for all.

LLLI congratulates WHO and all those who contributed to the preparation
of this important international document.